Actors gather in London for Baftas

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"Skyfall" is one of the films in the running at the Baftas. (Credit: CNN)

Actors gather in London for Baftas

"Skyfall" is one of the films in the running at the Baftas. (Credit: CNN)

“Skyfall” is one of the films in the running at the Baftas. (Credit: CNN)

LONDON (CNN) — All eyes in show business will turn to London on Sunday, as the stars of films from Steven Spielberg’s political drama “Lincoln” to the Bond extravaganza “Skyfall” gather for the British Academy Film Awards ceremony.

The Baftas, as the awards are known, are seen as one of the indicators for success in the Oscars.

“Lincoln” leads the field with 10 Bafta nominations, while Tom Hooper’s film version of the long-running stage musical “Les Miserables” and Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” each have nine nods.

All three are in the running for best film in the British movie awards, along with “Argo,” (seven nominations) a thriller set during the Iran hostage crisis, and “Zero Dark Thirty,” (five nods) directed by Katheryn Bigelow — the only woman to win a best director Oscar — about the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

“Argo,” a thriller centered on the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, last month landed the best film award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Golden Globes.

Daniel Day-Lewis is nominated for best actor for his role as the U.S. president who led his country during the civil war and worked to end slavery.

Having already won the Golden Globe and SAG best actor awards for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, he is strongly tipped to win an Oscar later this month.

If he succeeds, Day-Lewis would be the first male actor to win three best actor Oscars. He won previously for “My Left Foot” in 1989 and “There Will Be Blood” in 2007.

Quentin Tarantino is nominated for best director and original screenplay for his slavery action-drama “Django Unchained.” Affleck is also recognized for directing “Argo,” along with Bigelow, Lee and Michael Haneke.

Javier Bardem was nominated as best supporting actor for his role as the villain in the latest and most commercially successful James Bond movie, “Skyfall,” but that film was overlooked in the best film category.

Bardem was among eight “Skyfall” Bafta nominations that also included best supporting actress for Judi Dench who plays spy boss M and best British movie.

The awards ceremony takes place at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, central London.